"Cittaducale, Formia, and Amatrice districts) within the ""Mezzogiorno"", since they were once part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and southern Italian lects are spoken. The island of Sardinia, although for cultural, linguistic and historical reasons having less in common with the aforementioned regions, is frequently included as Southern Italy or ""Mezzogiorno"", often for statistical and economical purposes. Southern Italy forms the lower part of the Italian ""boot"", containing the ankle (Campania), the toe (Calabria), the arch (Basilicata), and the heel (Apulia), Molise (north of Apulia) and Abruzzo (north of Molise) along with the island of Sicily. Separating the"
"""heel"" and the ""boot"" is the Gulf of Taranto, named after the city of Taranto, which is at an angle between the heel and the boot itself. It is an arm of the Ionian Sea. The island of Sardinia, right below the French island of Corsica, might also be included. On the eastern coast is the Adriatic Sea, leading into the rest of the Mediterranean through the Strait of Otranto (named after the largest city on the tip of the heel). On the Adriatic, south of the ""spur"" of the boot, the peninsula of Monte Gargano; on the Tyrrhenian Sea,"
"Italy Italy ( ), officially the Italian Republic ( ), is a country in Europe. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Marino, and Vatican City. Italy covers an area of and has a largely temperate seasonal and Mediterranean climate. With around 61 million inhabitants, it is the fourth-most populous EU member state and the most populous country in Southern Europe. Due to its central geographic location in Europe and the Mediterranean, Italy has historically been home to a myriad of peoples and cultures. In addition to the"
"All of the peninsula lies within the territory of the Italian Republic except for the microstates of San Marino and Vatican City. Additionally, Sicily, Elba and other smaller islands, such as Palagruža (), (which belongs to Croatia) are usually considered as islands off the peninsula and in this sense geographically grouped along with it. The peninsula lies between the Tyrrhenian Sea on the west, the Ionian Sea on the south, and the Adriatic Sea on the east. The backbone of the Italian peninsula consists of the Apennine Mountains, from which it takes one of its names. Most of its coast"
"°C and +17 °C, the summer between +28 °C and +30 °C. Lampedusa Lampedusa (; ; ) is the largest island of the Italian Pelagie Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The comune of Lampedusa e Linosa is part of the Sicilian province of Agrigento which also includes the smaller islands of Linosa and Lampione. It is the southernmost part of Italy and Italy's southernmost island. Tunisia, which is about away, is the closest landfall to the islands. Sicily is farther at , whilst the island nation of Malta is to the east. Lampedusa has an area of and a population"
"Geography of Italy Italy is located in southern Europe and comprises the long, boot-shaped Italian Peninsula, the southern side of Alps, the large plain of the Po Valley and some islands including Sicily and Sardinia. Corsica, although belonging to the Italian geographical region, has been a part of France since 1769. Italy is part of the Northern Hemisphere. Its total area is , of which is land and . It lies between latitudes 35° and 48° N, and longitudes 6° and 19° E. Italy borders Switzerland (), France (), Austria () and Slovenia (). San Marino () and Vatican city"
"Isola del Giglio Isola del Giglio (; ) is an Italian island and comune situated in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the coast of Tuscany, and is part of the Province of Grosseto. The island is one of seven that form the Tuscan Archipelago, lying within the Arcipelago Toscano National Park. ""Giglio"" means ""lily"" in Italian, and though the name would appear consistent with the insignia of Medici Florence, it derives from ""Aegilium"", ""Goat Island"", a Latin transliteration of the Greek word for ""little goat"" (Ancient Greek: ""Aigýllion"", ""Αιγύλλιον""). In 2012, the cruise ship ""Costa Concordia"" foundered off the coast of"
"Pelagie Islands The Pelagie Islands (, ), from the Greek , meaning ""open sea"", are the three small islands of Lampedusa, Linosa, and Lampione, located in the Mediterranean Sea between Malta and Tunisia, south of Sicily. To the northwest lie the island of Pantelleria and the Strait of Sicily. Geographically part of the archipelago (Lampedusa and Lampione) belongs to the African continent; politically and administratively the islands fall within the Sicilian province of Agrigento and represent the southernmost part of Italy. Despite pockets of agriculture, the islands are unnaturally barren due to wanton deforestation and the disappearance of the native"
"the Mediterranean island of Pantelleria. Three of Italy's volcanoes have erupted in the last hundred years: At least nine other volcanic centres have seen eruptions in historic times, including some submarine volcanoes (seamounts). In order of the most recent eruptions, they are: Several volcanoes in Italy have reportedly erupted in the past, but these events are not confirmed: Volcanology of Italy Italy is a volcanically active country, containing the only active volcanoes in mainland Europe. The country's volcanism is due chiefly to the presence, a short distance to the south, of the boundary between the Eurasian Plate and the African"
"Sicily Sicily ( ; ) is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an autonomous region of Italy, in Southern Italy along with surrounding minor islands, officially referred to as ""Regione Siciliana"". Sicily is located in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula, from which it is separated by the narrow Strait of Messina. Its most prominent landmark is Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe, and one of the most active in the world, currently high. The island has a typical Mediterranean climate. The earliest archaeological evidence of human activity on the island dates"
"Lampedusa Lampedusa (; ; ) is the largest island of the Italian Pelagie Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The comune of Lampedusa e Linosa is part of the Sicilian province of Agrigento which also includes the smaller islands of Linosa and Lampione. It is the southernmost part of Italy and Italy's southernmost island. Tunisia, which is about away, is the closest landfall to the islands. Sicily is farther at , whilst the island nation of Malta is to the east. Lampedusa has an area of and a population of about 6,000 people. Its main industries are fishing, agriculture, and tourism."
"also called in Italian, is located on the southwest coast of Italy, about south-southeast of Rome, near San Felice Circeo, on the coast between Anzio and Terracina. At the northern end of the Gulf of Gaeta, it is about long by wide at the base, running from east to west and surrounded by the sea on all sides except the north. The land to the north of it is above sea level, while the summit of the promontory is . While the headland is quite steep and hilly, the land immediately to the east of it is low-lying and very"
"Italian Peninsula The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula (, ""Penisola appenninica"") extends from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south (about 44% of total Italy's area). The peninsula's shape gives it the nickname ""lo Stivale"" (the Boot). Three smaller peninsulas contribute to this characteristic shape, namely Calabria (the ""toe""), Salento (the ""heel"") and Gargano (the ""spur""). Geographically, the Italian peninsula consists of the land south of a line extending from the Magra to the Rubicon rivers, north of the Tuscan–Emilian Apennines. It excludes the Po Valley and the southern slopes of the Alps."
"of Sicily in Europe - much closer than the distance to the closest African coast. The nearby Italian island of Lampedusa (principal island of the Pelagie Islands) is from Sicily while just from the African coast; similarly, Pantelleria is from Sicily and just from the African coast. All of these Mediterranean islands are actually located on the African plate, and may be considered part of the continent of Africa. However, for political and historical reasons, maps generally display them as part of Europe. A single Spanish islet, known as Alboran Island, is also debateably located on either the African plate"
"Cavallo (island) Cavallo is a small island in the Mediterranean Sea located between Corsica and Sardinia. It is politically a part of France and its recent history is tied to Corsica. Cavallo is the only inhabited island of the Lavezzi archipelago, 2.3 km from the Corsican coast, close to the Strait of Bonifacio. It is about 13 km from Sardinia. The island is French territory, though it belonged to Italy in the past. Cavallo Island is about 120 hectares in area and its highest point is 32 metres above sea level. It has a small port. Cavallo has a long"
"Insular Italy Insular Italy ( or just ) is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), a first level NUTS region and a European Parliament constituency. Insular Italy encompasses two of the country's 20 regions: Sardinia and Sicily. Insular Italy occupies one-sixth of the national territory in surface area. Territorially, both Sicily and Sardinia include several minor islands and archipelagoes administratively dependent on the mother islands. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean (25,708 km) and one of the largest of Europe, while Sardinia is only slightly less extensive"
"Pellestrina Pellestrina is an island in northern Italy, forming a barrier between the southern Venetian Lagoon and the Adriatic Sea, lying south west of the Lido. The island is long and has since the eighteenth century been bounded to its seaward side by large embankments. There are four main villages: San Pietro in Volta, Porto Secco, Sant' Antonio di Pellestrina and Pellestrina, known for their colourfully-painted houses. The main industries of the island are market gardening, fishing, tourism and lace making. Like that in Chioggia but unlike that in Torcello, the local lace is made with a needle. Attractions on"
"sloping cliffs on the east coast, and vertical sheer cliffs on the west coast. The fauna and flora of Lampedusa are similar to those of North Africa, with a few pelagic endemic species. The ""Isola dei Conigli"" (literally ""Rabbit Island""), close to the south coast of Lampedusa, is one of the last remaining egg-laying sites in Italy for the Loggerhead Sea Turtle, which is endangered throughout the Mediterranean. The beach and the neighbouring island are part of a nature reserve: here the singer-songwriter Domenico Modugno spent his vacations, and died in 1994. Next to Parise Cape is a small beach"
"Gorgona (Italy) Gorgona () is the northernmost island in the Tuscan Archipelago, a group of islands off the west coast of Italy. Between Corsica and Livorno, this diminutive island has been valued most for its wildlife, especially marine birds, and its isolation. The latter quality resulted in the foundation of Gorgona Abbey in the Middle Ages. After its closure the monastery grounds and buildings were appropriated in 1869, at the foundation of an agricultural penal colony, which is currently in use. Gorgona is located about 19 nautical miles (about ) straight out from Livorno. It is a ferry ride of"
"Torcello Torcello (; ) is a sparsely populated island at the northern end of the Venetian Lagoon, in north-eastern Italy. It was first settled in the year 452 and has been referred to as the parent island from which Venice was populated. It was a town with a cathedral and bishops before St Mark's Basilica was built. After the downfall of the Western Roman Empire, Torcello was one of the first lagoon islands to be successively populated by those Veneti who fled the ""terra ferma"" (mainland) to take shelter from the recurring barbarian invasions, especially after Attila the Hun had"
"San Pietro Island San Pietro Island (Italian: ""Isola di San Pietro"", Ligurian Tabarchino: ""Uiza de San Pé"", Sardinian: ""Isula 'e Sàntu Pèdru"") is an island approximately off the South western Coast of Sardinia, Italy, facing the Sulcis peninsula. With it is the sixth largest island of Italy by area. The approximately 6,000 inhabitants are mostly concentrated in the fishing town of Carloforte, the only ""comune"" in the island. It is included in the province of South Sardinia. It is named after Saint Peter. The island is connected by regular ferry service to Portovesme and Calasetta. The island is of volcanic"
"Torre Astura Torre Astura, formerly an island called by the ancients merely Astura (Greek: ), is now a peninsula in the ""comune"" of Nettuno, on the coast of Latium, Italy, at the southeast extremity of the Bay of Antium, on the road to Circeii. The name also belongs to a medieval coastal tower in the same site, as well as to the river which rises at the southern foot of the Alban Hills, and has a course of about 33 km before flowing into the sea immediately to the southeast. It was called Storas () by Strabo, who tells us"
"Elba Elba (, ; ; Ancient Greek: Αἰθαλία, ""Aithalia"") is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park, and the third largest island in Italy, after Sicily and Sardinia. It is located in the Tyrrhenian Sea about east of the French island of Corsica. The island is part of the province of Livorno and is divided into seven municipalities, with a total population of about 30,000 inhabitants which increases considerably during the summer. The municipalities are Portoferraio (which"
"Tavolara Island Tavolara is a small island off the northeast coast of Sardinia, Italy. The island is a limestone massif long and wide, with steep cliffs except at its ends. Its highest point, Monte Cannone, is above sea level. A cove and beach can be found at each end of the island, Spalmatore di Fuori at the northeast, and Spalmatore di Terra at the southwest. Currently, the island is inhabited by only a handful of families, and has a small cemetery and summer restaurant. The water around the island is a popular spot for scuba diving. The nearest sizable town"
"delimited by the Alpine watershed, enclosing the Po Valley and the Venetian Plain. To the south, it consists of the entirety of the Italian Peninsula and the two Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Sardinia, in addition to many smaller islands. The sovereign states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italy, while Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland. The country's total area is , of which is land and is water. Including the islands, Italy has a coastline and border of on the Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian seas (), and borders shared with France (), Austria"
"Cyclopean Isles The Cyclopean Isles (Italian:""Isole Ciclopi""), noted for their rows of basaltic columns piled one above another, lie not far from Mount Etna off the eastern coast of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea. Formed about 500,000 years ago, the Cyclopean Isles are of volcanic origin and may at one time have been attached to Sicily. The Cyclopean Isles strongly resemble the Giant's Causeway on the northern coast of Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Staffa off the western coast of Scotland. The latter, closest in appearance to the Cyclopean pair, differs mainly in having the columns piled in terraces,"
"Procida Procida (; ) is one of the Flegrean Islands off the coast of Naples in southern Italy. The island is between Cape Miseno and the island of Ischia. With its tiny satellite island of Vivara, it is a ""comune"" of the Metropolitan City of Naples, in the region of Campania. The island derives its name from the Latin name ""Prochyta"". Προχύτη/Prochýtē means 'poured out' in Greek . According to another theory, ""Prochyta"" comes from the Greek verb ""prokeitai"", meaning 'it lies forth', because of the appearance of the island seen from the sea. Procida is located between Capo Miseno"
"L'Isuledda The Isuledda (Sardinian for ""Little Island""), also called Isola dei Gabbiani (Italian for ""Island of Seagulls""), is an almost-island in northern Sardinia, Italy, facing the Sardinian channel. Covering an area of approximately 180,000 m², it is almost completely surrounded by the sea, and connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus of sandy terrain, hence, despite the name, it is in fact a peninsula. It is situated close to the località of Porto Pollo and Barrabisa. The name """"Isola dei Gabbiani"""" comes from the name of the camping that occupied the whole surface up to 2008. The area is"
"island in the western Mediterranean, south of Corsica. Before the unification of Italy, the Kingdom of Sardinia was the name applied to a union of Sardinia and Piedmont, although the island was very much the junior partner. Stamps of this state were issued in Turin 1851–1862 but the country's name is not shown. Gibbons list these stamps under Sardinia, which is strictly correct, but historians generally refer to the state as Piedmont. To prevent confusion between the 19th century state and the present island province, this work has Piedmont as the specific entry and Sardinia as a minor entry. Compendium"
"its name from when the Venetian Republic was at the height of its power, at this time that state encompassed most of the northern Adriatic Sea. Gulf of Venice The Gulf of Venice is a gulf that borders modern-day Italy, Slovenia and Croatia, and is at the north of the Adriatic Sea between the delta of the Po river in Northern Italy and the Istria peninsula in Croatia. On average the gulf is 38 meters deep. It is the home of the popular destination island Albarella. The Tagliamento, Piave, Adige, Isonzo, Dragonja, and Brenta rivers run into it. Major cities"
"Geomineral Park, preserved by UNESCO. Northern Sardinian Coasts are included in the Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals, a Marine Protected Area, that covers a surface of about , aimed at the protection of marine mammals. Notes Bibliography Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; or ; ; ; ; ) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and before Cyprus). It is located west of the Italian Peninsula and to the immediate south of the French island of Corsica. Sardinia is politically a region of Italy, whose official name is ""Regione Autonoma della Sardegna"" / ""Regione Autònoma de"
"Ligurian Sea The Ligurian Sea (; ) is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, between the Italian Riviera (Liguria) and the island of Corsica. The sea is theorized to be named after the ancient Ligures people. The sea borders Italy as far as its border with France, and the French island of Corsica. In the east the sea borders the Tyrrhenian Sea, while in the west it borders the Mediterranean Sea proper. Genoa is the most prominent city in the area. The northwest coast is noted for its scenic beauty and favourable climate. The Gulf of Genoa is its northernmost"
"20th century as a driving cap, usually worn by car drivers. The ""coppola"" is usually made in tweed. Today it is widely regarded as a definitive symbol of Sicilian heritage. Sicily Sicily ( ; ) is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an autonomous region of Italy, in Southern Italy along with surrounding minor islands, officially referred to as ""Regione Siciliana"". Sicily is located in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula, from which it is separated by the narrow Strait of Messina. Its most prominent landmark is Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in"